Empyreal (The Earthborn Series Book 1)

by Spencer Helsel

  Ethan shrugged. “Torture you? Turn him on you?”

  Mastema shook his head. “I know at least a dozen other cursed elixirs that cause more torture, not to mention numerous spells. The demonic have crafted many effective methods of inflicting suffering. She makes a valid point.”

  They got to her house and took a seat in the pavilion. Dani was exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t shut up. “My point exactly. What did the demon want? Did it want us to kill Nathaniel? But that doesn’t make sense, either.”

  Ethan shrugged again. “Maybe it wanted Nathaniel to kill some of us.”

  “If that were the case,” Mastema frowned, dipping his hand into the fountain and cupping water for a drink, “it would have poisoned both you and Nathaniel. One cursed Novice could not kill that many. Asaph and his Gatekeepers would slay them before they could do much harm. There would be little reward for something so complicated.”

  “He still caused a ruckus.” Ethan pointed out.

  “Exactly.” Dani said. “So other than to piss off Asaph, I don’t see the point. And why attack us at the Hellfire Club? It’s super dangerous for demons and there’s nothing for them to get. All that’s there are golems, Judah and—.”

  She froze. The moment she thought of it, she knew it was true. She knew exactly why the demon was there. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before.

  “Dani? What is it?”

  “All that’s there at The Hellfire Club are golems, Judah and,” she kicked herself, “the ladder.”

  Dani leapt to her feet and ran into the house.

  “The ladder? The portal to the club, you mean?”

  “You said it yourself: it’s a back way in Empyrean.” A cold chill ran down her spine. She grabbed her swords and armor. “It’s a way around the defenses! This whole city is on lockdown. No one in or out, but,” she came back out into the pavilion, “the ladder bypasses all of that. Does Asaph know about it?”

  The revelation dawned on Ethan. “No, he doesn’t. Other than the centaurs and the gifted, no one knows about it. But Asaph’s patrols would spot anything wrong as long as they’re…” he trailed off. Fear creeped into his eyes. “…as long as they aren’t pulled off duty by anything.”

  Mastema’s expression darkened. “Which happened when Nathaniel’s attack called Asaph and his men to the Ward. The Hills are defenseless. It was a distraction.”

  “And allows anyone coming through the ladder to go unnoticed.” Dani finished, strapping on her gauntlets. “That demon poisoned Nathaniel, and then he freaked and all the Gatekeepers came running. Then it could— .”

  “Sneak in.” Ethan shook his head. “But the ladder can only be opened from the inside. It shut when we came back. No one would leave it open. We’re safe.”

  But they weren’t. The enemy is in your midst, Gabriel warned her. “No, we’re not.”

  “What? Why?” Ethan asked.

  But Mastema didn’t argue. He retrieved his khopesh.

  “I think the demon has a way of opening the ladder.” She said, belting her blades. “Don’t ask how, but I know it does. It’s the only thing that makes sense. That thing did this to get inside.”

  “How?”

  “You told me to trust you, so I’m asking you to trust me. It wants the ladder.”

  Mastema checked his bracers. “What could it want here?”

  “Not sure. All I know is that we need to alert everyone before something happens.”

  And then they heard it. It carried along on the wind through the dark, night air: a blood-curdling, frantic, life-begging scream. Dani turned in the direction of the voice. It came from uphill.

  Then more voices joined it. A chorus of screams formed an unholy song across the hills.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  They found a dead gifted halfway uphill. Dani swallowed her horror and continued up, her feet flying across the ground as she cut through the knee-high grass; springing several feet in each stride. She moved like a stone skipping on water.

  Gifted ran as howls tore through the night. A home was on fire. Dani headed towards Novice Village.

  An explosion bloomed in the darkness, shattering the pavilion to pieces. The sounds of battle urged her on. Novices and Guardians poured from their barracks. And in the gloom, Dani saw the demons.

  A wraith in a disgusting molted suit pinned Dink to the ground, shark-like jaws open to strike. Mastema launched himself through the air and swung the khopesh like a deadly pendulum, guillotining the creature. The head separated and the wraith exploded in ash.

  Dani drew Pointyend, the blade flaring to life as she leapt over Dink. Bodies lay strewn around the square. They were mostly Guardians, killed defending their charges.

  A body lay bloody and broken in the fountain, a wraith gnawing on it. It raised its wet face from the open neck, long feminine locks of hair matted to its face. It hissed at Dani and slashed with its claws, but Dani dodged and struck with her sword. Its arm vaporized in a cloud of dust and black blood. Dani cut it down with the second stroke.

  She felt another coming and spun, drawing her knife and slashing open its shoulder. She kept moving, slicing and cutting it down.

  A third wraith flung itself from the roof of the nearest barracks and landed on her. Dani rolled, shaking it off but the demon bit down on her calf. She kicked, forcing it off, but both her weapons fell out of her hands. The glow dissipated. She crawled away and the demon scrambled towards her.

  The shaft of an arrow exploded from its neck. Dink, bow in hand, strode towards them and notched a second arrow. He hit the demon in the heart and it collapsed, dissolving to ash.

  He ran to Dani’s side. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine!”

  “They’re all over the Hills.” He told her, notching and firing. “How the hell are they here?”

  “I’ll tell you later!”

  Smoke and flames billowed into the sky. Ethan and Mastema rallied around the remaining Guardians and Novices, helping to drive back the monsters. Andreas, axe in hand, beheaded one. Bouden summoned Aer and blasted one across the square.

  Ethan, Montante sword flashing in the fiery light, leapt into the middle of the square. The humungous blade wove around him with expert precision. It sliced through the air, never slowing its deadly arcs as he cut down two, dispatching them with single strokes. His blade flew over his head in three quick loops, hacking the head off a wraith with each swing and then coming up and under to take a fourth.

  But more flowed downhill towards them; too many to fight alone.

  “Mastema!” someone screamed. “Fall back!”

  Her Guardian stepped from the fight, facing mass of demons. He sheathed his khopesh. “

  “Mastema!” she screamed. “What are you doing?”

  Her Guardian held out his hands, closing his eyes. Around him, the fires that engulfed Novice Village swarmed. Burning brighter, billowing up off the charred remains, he summoned them towards himself with Fyre. Flames licked past her and coursed over his hands. The demons charged right towards him, jaws open.

  With a slap of both palms together, flames exploded outward.

  The fire cut right through the front lines and disintegrated them. The ones behind tried to stop before the inferno took them, too. Only the back dozen had a chance to flee.

  Just like that, nearly two dozen demons were gone. Dani stared at her Guardian.

  “What is it, Daniella?” he asked in a bored tone.

  “Seriously? You have to ask?”

  “I am named for a monster of destruction.” He turned around. “Did you think that was a coincidence?”

  Was that a joke? She didn’t ask.

  “They are headed to the Vale Bridge!” Someone warned.

  “Oh God! The gifted! Roxelana! Shea!”

  He called to the others. “Any who can fight, follow!”

  They took off into the sky. Behind her, a dozen Guardians and Novices followed.

  Dani soared down the Hills.
Fires burned across the countryside; not the comforting family flames, but households ablaze. She could see people running but pushed that aside. She angled down towards the market, where other darker forms ran towards.

  Demons filled the market square. When she landed, she stabbed down into an unsuspecting wraith, killing it.

  “Dani!”

  Shea stood his ground, using a rake to fend off a white-eyed monster. Kleos landed beside her and threw an adamantine dagger into it. The demon staggered. Kleos threw again and again, launching one weapon after another, spinning off his feet and firing a dagger through its eye. The creature fell dead.

  “Shea!” Dani ran to his side. “Where is everyone? Adare? Roxelana?”

  “Most of the gifted fled across the Vale to the Citadel, but Adare and Roxelana went back for Korë! She was at the house!”

  Her blood ran cold. “She’s still there?”

  “These things came too fast!”

  “Get across the bridge.” She stepped past him. “I’ll get them.”

  Dani ran uphill toward the gifted homes. Demons retreated from the market as more Numen arrived. One leapt at her from a vendor’s tent, but she dodged and stabbed it through the back, continuing on.

  She arrived at the house. “Roxelana!”

  “Dani!”

  Adare, Roxelana and Airlea knelt in the garden in front of the home. Dani flew up the steps. “We have to go!”

  “Dani! It’s Korë!”

  She felt her heart sink. Nestled between the three gifted, the young girl lay prone on her back. In the dark, what she thought were just shadows were in fact dark, red stains. Blood. Deep gashes cut through her dress. Dani sheathed her blades, running to their side.

  “She’s hurt!” Tears streamed down Roxelana’s cheeks. She cradled the young, blonde girl’s head. “Dani, she’s hurt!”

  “It’ll be fine!” But when she knelt, she stared in horror at the wounds across the young girl’s body. There were many along her torso. “She’ll—She’ll be fine.”

  Dani touched her hand. It was cold and clammy. The terrified little girl stared up with her sapphire eyes; pleadingly, shaking in fear.

  “You’ll be okay. We just have to get you out of here.”

  Adare tried to move her into her arms. She whimpered painfully.

  “We can’t move her.” Airlea said. “She’s too injured.”

  “But we have to!” Roxelana pleaded.

  Snarls and crashes poured from inside the darkened gifted house. Dani shifted in front of them.

  “They’re still here.” Dani said, hand on the hilt of her sword.

  More snarls. Dani was about to draw her blade when a small hand stopped her. Looking down, Korë’s hand was over hers. Dani took it. “I won’t let them hurt you.” She promised.

  She shook her head, pleadingly. Red speckles framed her young, innocent face. She held out her other hand.

  “What is it?”

  Korë pulled her close. Dani leaned down. The little fingers laced around the back of her neck. Her other squeezed her arm. Her smile quivered. As much as she could, she hugged Dani.

  And then, as Dani watched, the light faded from her sapphire eyes. In seconds, the little girl was gone.

  “No!” Roxelana moaned. “No! Korë!”

  Adare cried. Airlea put a hand over her mouth, sobbing silently. Dani knelt, frozen; her arms still around her in her last hug.

  Small tears fell from her eyes onto the little girl’s frozen face.

  More snarls from inside; more sounds of breaking furniture. Turning, she dropped Korë’s hands and folded them over her. She stood, drawing her blades. They glowed to life.

  Roxelana called out to her. “Dani—!”

  “Go.” She said, walking towards the house. “Get out of here.”

  “But Dani—!”

  “Take Korë with you.” She kicked the ajar door back wide with one foot and stepped inside. “I’m right behind you.”

  The inside was a large, darkened living room. Her blades illuminated the gloom. Stepping into the center, she saw the eye-shine and heard growls just out of the light. Demons, at least four, surrounded her. They crept forward.

  Dani kicked the door closed and swung with her shining blades. ______________________

  The remaining gifted fled across the Vale Bridge; some on their own, others carrying their wounded or dying with them. Shea took the wrapped body of Korë in his arms, fleeing with Roxelana, Adare and Airlea. Dani remained on the other side, her swords caked in blood.

  Not a single wraith left that house alive. Her hands shook in rage. But they didn’t burn… Why didn’t they burn?

  Numen scrambled to put out fires. Others tended to the wounded. She knelt next to Lester as Bouden did his best to heal him.

  “He’s bad.” Bouden said, a cloth pressed against the wound in his side. “He’s going to need a healer.”

  Lester groaned in agony. His chest shuddered in a way Dani knew wasn’t good. His breathing was ragged like something was wrong with his lungs.

  A Gatekeeper dropped from the sky, landing next to Ethan and Mastema. “Demons are all over the Hills.”

  Mastema spoke calmly, wiping ash and black blood from his khopesh, “What number of foes?”

  “Dozens. Wraiths, imps; coming from the Vale! They ascend the cliffs as we speak. We do not know how they bypassed our defenses.”

  Ethan and Dani exchanged a look.

  “A demon leads them.” The Gatekeeper reported. “A monster with coal black skin.”

  “Red eyes?” Dani asked.

  He nodded.

  She got to her feet. “We have to kill it.”

  “They will attempt to take the Bridge.” Ethan said, sheathing his sword “We need to defend it while the Citadel organizes their forces. Otherwise, they’ll cross. We have too many gifted and wounded to allow them to do that.” He announced to the assembled Numen. “Anyone who is not wounded or tending to wounded should stay here. We’ll make a stand as best we can. Those of you unable to fight, get across the bridge.”

  Everyone started moving. Dink and Bouden began gathering arrows while Dani went to join Ethan.

  “I need your help.” He said.

  “With what?”

  “I need you to go into the Vale.”

  Her eyes flared threateningly. “You are not asking me to sit this out.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Really? Because it sounds like you’re about to send me away from the fighting while everyone I care about stays here.”

  Ethan winced. “Okay, I am—BUT,” he stopped her next tirade before it began, “it’s not what you think. I need you to get the centaurs. We need their help. They can spread the word to the other centaur villages and come to our aid.”

  She scowled. “Why not send someone else?”

  “Because in the event of an attack, they’ll protect their villages. They won’t leave. I need you to convince them to come help us.”

  “And why would they listen to me? I’m not sure if you remember, but I’m not their favorite person.”

  “Then find a way to convince them. Nessus respects you. He’ll listen.”

  “And the others who won’t?”

  “I have faith in you.”

  She glared. “Don’t play like that.”

  “I’m not.”

  She wanted to say no. She desperately did. Her friends, her Guardian, even that cocky idiot Andreas were about to stand and fight a battle they couldn’t win for long while she ran in the opposite direction.

  “So I’m supposed to get them, then what?”

  “There is access to the Vale on the other side of the river, remember? Order the centaurs to close the ladder and stop these things from getting through. They’ll know the spell. Then bring them to the Citadel and we’ll meet you at the bridge.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Dani, please, this is important.”

  “Be honest: are you asking me to do this to keep me o
ut of harm’s way?”

  “Would you be angry if I said yes?”

  “Hell yes.”

  “I am,” he told her truthfully, “but we need them. Convince Nessus and convince the others. Please, Dani.”

  She hated it, but nodded. “Fine.”

  A bloom of fire erupted through the night sky. Ethan stepped away. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Promise?”

  “I can’t.” He drew his sword.

  Another inferno danced into the air. The Numen gathered towards the bridge, Ethan among them; ready to make a stand.

  Dani didn’t think about it. She just did it. She stepped in front of him, put an arm around his neck and pulled him down. When his lips met hers, she savored the taste of his kiss. She didn’t care it was tacky. She didn’t care it was stupid, or girlie, or not the right time. To hell with that.

  Ethan’s arms closed around her. She inhaled the scent of his skin and the taste of his lips. When she pulled back, he stared, dumbfounded.

  “I will see you soon.” She promised, then turned and leapt onto the Bridge’s railing. She looked back one last time. “And, uh, don’t read too much into that.”

  He slowly nodded. “Right.”

  “Because this isn’t the right time and it’s sort of complicated and—.” She stopped herself from rambling. “Um, yeah, we’ll talk later.” “Right.”

  She swan dived off the Bridge under the power of Aer and shot upriver.

  I’m about to walk into a hot mess. Demons are attacking the city, she thought. Screw it. Why the hell not? I may not live until tomorrow to regret it.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “ Dani! What’s happening?” Caesar swooped overhead. “This place is crawling with hellspawn! How the hell did they get inside?”

  “I need to find Nessus and the centaurs! Can you point me towards their village?” It only occurred to her now she had no idea where it was in the dark.

  “Sure. Why?”

  “Just get me to them!”

  “Follow me!” Caesar pulled up, spreading her wings as she and Dani danced over the treetops. Caesar flapped, rising and banking right. “This way!”

  The Vale was pitch-black below; a sea of shadows dotted only by the vague shapes of the trees.

  “There it is! It’s straight ahead!” Caesar called. “Other side of the river!”